Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-08-23
ror tho orroRD DEnocnAr.
A SHORT RAMBLE.

I left my home In Dixh.ld last Tues
day morning. In company with my son,
who was going to attend the Probate
and Insolvent courts. at Pennington,
while I remained q, East Dixfeld. vi,i..
ing my relatives and friends there during
the time Of his absence. awaiting his re-
turn from court, TO take me home again.
I had a very pleasant ride. tina, lovel,
morning. arriving there sll safe.
Ga our way home We called on Mf,
John To~le. the prince Of oreharding and
gardening. sad also the apple evsporatof,
from which business he cleared . thou.
sand dollars last year. and obtained ofhim
some boxes OF bis splendid garden rAsp.
berries which We took home with CO
They are a most delicious fruit.
Oa arriving q, Eu, DiSfeld. I found
tbs, my nephew. DR.. William W. Ran.
dali. from Augusta. Iowa, asd bis wife,
we're At hi, brothers. Mr.. Albert Ran.
DALI. They arrived there the Saturday
previous. The doctor vas born ., East
Di,held village and passed his early life
there. lie was surgeon of,he 10Th Res'.
Maine Volunteers. After the war was
over. he vent vest. aud settled In Iowa ;
and this was hi. first return 20 Maine.
Oar meeting was very pleasant one.
although unexpected. lie was in TIE
practice of hi, profession. few years
ago, In D.xfsld village. before he wen,
west. and will vi.i, our family and bis
friends here before bis return.
We wen, up TO the old homestead.
sboa, half mil. e.s, Of East DixfsId
village. wher, my father. Joshas Randall.
settled Ia 1900. going TO the spot. through
the wilderness. ten miles by marked trees.
carrying the doctors father. then an IN.
fsn,, In his arms. There Is the place
where va. born Ia the year 1909. more
than IS years ago. and there was "ihe
home Of my boyhoOd. my own ooaniry
home" The sPo, is . beautiful one,
overlooking all that pretty little village
., E.s, Disfeli. There | found many
OF the footprints Of my late father. and
traced much Of his handiwork.
There stand the large old orchards ihA.
he planted more ,nan IS years ago. and
there stand the rows OF large naples that
be Sc, on, for shade trees, by the sides OF
the road. in my early boyhOOd. Ia, the
tree ih. interested me mos. Was the
lofty old elm near the house. tha. my
father told me many time, he set on, IN
the year 1909, the year ,hl, | va, born.
|, stands there unseA,hsd, with in i'm.
men.ely wide.spreadins branches. shad-
Ing . large portion Of the lawn in fron,
Of the old homestead. The doctor pro-
posed TO measure II. and did. fading |,
10 measure sixteen feet and eish, inches
two fee, from the grOand. II iss beau
,ifal tree In al is proportions. plainly to
be seen from any point Ia E.s, Dixhsld
village. Ny friend, William II. wiaslow,
Esq. told me ,ha, tree was often looked
upon and spoken Of, as one Of the land
marks Of my father. aud said IL vas
monumen, to bis memory. iha, the VII
llgc people would be 10th to part with.
While standing there, thinking o,ei
the scene, Of my boyhood. | felt sons .
Washington Irving did. when, after max
ing III. tour Of Europe and getting back,
and landing safe In the city OF New York
he said "his foo, Was on his native heath,
and his name ws MeGrsor."
| found my old. lifelong friend there,
William Hall. who was q month and
some day. older than myself. and who
wa. born .bOu, eighty rods nearer to the
village than the place where l WAS born,
still living on the old farm and near the
place on which be Was born. lie hA'
spen. his life there. found him quite
feeble, bu, still | hope he may survive
some years yet. had very interesting
yi.i, a, hi, house, and bAde him good
bye. promising to see him again neI,
summer. IL we both live.
1 also found Warren seyery there, An
other old friend Of mine. aboa. the same
age, very feeble Indeed. fear shall
never meet him again in this life.
DR.. silss Bartlett found in good
health and spirits. He Is very pleasantly
situated there. has fine residence, and
quite q farm, with large orchard ofmos'
escellen, grated fruit. lie appears
happy man, and has everything about
him 10 make life desirable. He attead.
ed my school a, Bethel Academy fou'
terms, commencing ffty-One years age
ne1, month. All my other friend. there
and they are many are well. l had
a very pleassn, visi, and hope to repeat
IL again next year.
4. II